[IC] When the Roar Falls ~ PopeAlessandros x Raafling

[PopeAlessandros]

As if partially reading his mind, Aryx turns the conversation around and asks him about his own name. Wincing inside, feeling his name is not nearly as interesting, he smiles back at his guest and shakes his head. “I don't know. My father, before leaving me, game me my name, but since I was. . . left here, so young, if he ever did tell me about it I have long forgotten it.” His tail shifts forward from resting on his shoulder, brushing against his cheek as if trying to comfort him. Viltez smiles at it and gives it a pat, willing it to go back to relaxing in front of the fire.

The tail obliges slightly, sliding off his shoulder, but instead of going back to the fire to relax, the appendage slithers under the table to settle in his guest's lap. Flushing slightly, Viltez chooses to not acknowledge the action and instead talks a little more about himself as a distraction. “I was old enough to care for myself, so nobody thought to rename me or anything. . . It's all I really remember from the time before the village. I can. . . Kinda, remember my father's face, but not really. I don't even know if the name came from the human side of me, or the beastman side of me.” He pushes his food around a little more, somehow feeling lost even though he's sitting inside his own home.

A twinge of fear that he's being to “down” and boring passes thought Viltez and to shake himself form the feelings he smiles back at Aryx and tries to change the subject. “What does Authryx look like? I've heard about several different deities and great creatures before, but I've never heard of Authryx.” He gives Aryx a 'I'm sorry I don't know about them' look, knowing it might be rude to not know, considering the being is so important to his guest.

[Merule]

"That... sounds like a lot," Autharyx says, putting on a face that he hopes is suitably sympathetic. He's kind of at a loss at this topic of conversation, sharply feeling all the cultural connotations and context that he's missing. What do fathers even mean in mortal culture? Autharyx himself certainly never gave much thought to who he came from, but viltez certainly seems... sad? About being left? He did say he was old enough to care for himself when he was, though, so perhaps this was a normal part of the mortal coming of age process?

Thankfully he was saved from having to continue a thread of conversation he knew absolutely nothing about by Viltez' next question. He really should have seen something like that coming, but it still caught hims off guard. If the beast-man had asked him what he 'was like' he would have been able to talk a little about his strength and his connection to the world- perhaps even the treasures he collected. But 'looked like'... that was not something he'd ever really thought about in mortal terms, beyond the impression of awe and fear he liked to leave on mortals.

"It's a dragon," he starts out slowly, trying to remember what he'd heard humans say about him in the past.

"They say its scale shine like the reflection of sun on water, and its mane is dark like the heart of a storm cloud. It is wingless, but that does not matter when one is part of the energy flows that make up the world, and when it storms it twists through the clouds and catches the lightning with its horns." That sounded like something humans might say, didn't it?

[PopeAlessandros]

Viltez' eyes brighten and shine as Aryx reveals that the deity he follows is, of all things, a dragon. Beast shaped deities are not unheard of, but for humans, they tend to be human shaped. Or at the least, mostly human with perhaps animal heads. He doesn't know about his father's race and the deities they follow, but to him a dragon sounds completely amazing. He looks on in awe as Aryx describes the dragon's body, and how it literally dances through storm clouds. “That sounds so beautiful. . . And powerful. Catching lightning!? That's amazing!” Viltez is clearly delighted at the description, his tail slipping up to wrap around his guest's arm and squeeze it in his excitement. “Did you ever get to see them? Did you ever see them dancing through the clouds? Did Autharyx ever talk to you? Did you have to ask permission to travel?” His face flushes as he realizes he's pouring down question on the poor man, leaning forward in his desire to hear more, and he sits back, clearly embarrassed.

[Merule]

Autharyx feels his chest puff up with pride at the deluge of compliments and interest. It is exhilarating to have Viltez show admiration and curiosity towards, well, him. It makes him want to preen and gloat and show Viltez exactly how beautiful and powerful he is. And he will, just not quite yet.

Even through his pride he realises that 'actually I was talking about myself the whole time' is probably not the best way to go. It's not even about whether Viltez will believe him- of course he will. It's more that... well, that will be putting their acquaintance in a bit of a different light, won't it? It will mean owning up to lying up until now, and it will probably mean the end of this sense of... equality that they seem to have going. Autharyx would have never guessed he would prefer equality to lording over someone, but that's the position he finds himself in right now. Best to take a bit more time to let Viltez get to know him, and then when he does show his true self it will be a bonus rather than a shock!

"Sadly, it hasn't interacted with humans directly in many generations," he says in response to the beast-man's enthusiastic questions. Pretending he spent a lot of time talking to himself felt like stretching the 'lying by omission' a bit too far. Instead he chooses to talk as truthfully as he can manage, carefully talking around all the bits that would reveal more than he is willing to part with right now.

"The shrine has fallen into disrepair over the ages, and in the end I did not want to be chained to a place rooted in a past gone by when there was a world beyond the lake for me to explore. I do intend to go back eventually, of course. I suppose in the end I will always be tied to that place." He turns to glance out the window in contemplation, the sky looking small and distant from this still-unfamiliar perspective.

"It seems the world is no longer one of dragons and spirits, as it was long ago."

[PopeAlessandros]

Viltez gives his guest an understanding, slightly sad look, hearing about the shrine basically being abandoned. The sureness in his voice however makes him feel like he must have seen the dragon at some point, or simply truly believes, so he holds no doubt that this god figure is still alive, and real. His tail slides forward to rub against Aryx' arm as he speaks of the world changing and Viltez shiver a little at the feeling. His words about going back some day gives a sting to his heart, a touch of sympathy stained by his sorrow at thinking of his guest leaving him, but the bigger pang comes from Aryx' clear desire to “See the world beyond the lake”. He knows how close the lake he spoke of is, relatively speaking, and there is so much more world to see and take in.

'And here I am, keeping him in one place rather than encouraging him in his dream to see more. . . I truly am a selfish being. . .' His heart threatens to drop, but with a slow breath, he pushes his thoughts on. 'But, we're both young. It's okay, to take a little while with him, right? He still has plenty of time to see the world. . . A small slice of that life he wants to live isn't horrible right? And. . . And he seems happy here. . . He seems, happy, to stay for now. . .' He gives Aryx a gentle smile, fighting though his warring thoughts.

Coming out of his thoughts, a small voice in the back of his mind tries to draw his attention to how odd Aryx had sounded when he talked about the world long ago, a kind of knowing that normally he saw in old men talking about 'the good old days'. It tries to point this out to him, but he doesn't hear it, his mind distracted by his tail's activity mixed with his own deeper thoughts about making sure that Aryx stays happy for however long he's going to stay. “I am sure the time is not over so much as it's moved from a roar to a whisper.” he says softly, not wanting Aryx to mourn the master of his shrine's absence. “A whisper that carries across the land, on every strand of breeze, and into the hearts of those willing to believe.” He flushes, knowing he's getting a bit poetic, and turns his attention on to his food so he can finish eating quickly.

He knows he wants to wash up after the meal, since he will be sharing a bed with his guest once more, and doesn't want to stink horribly. He doesn't let his mind linger too long on the actual sharing part however as he's still rather unable to quickly accept that Mister Aryx likes him like that. It's still so new, so strange, and so unexpected, but despite the dream like thought not settling fully, he knows he wants to at least not be a filthy mess when sharing such a small space.

[Merule]

Autharyx turns his hand as the tail moves, letting the soft fur trail over the sensitive skin of his palm and wrist. The appendage is still fascinating to him, but it becomes easier and easier to just let it do what it wants without wanting to reach back as much. It's still tempting, especially since Viltez had admitted it felt good to be touched there. But the memory of how anxious he got about feeling overwhelmed is enough to keep his curiosity in check. Is this how mortals feel the time, all concerned about how the other will feel? It seems rather tedious, but then he supposes it doesn't feel tedious with Viltez.

At the beast-man's words, he can't help but stare at him with a quiet intensity. He thinks back to being in the forest with Viltez, to how the spirits and energy around them had woken up and been set abuzz. Viltez might not be consciously aware of it, but he is clearly very much in tune with the whispers he's now talking about. It kind of reminds him of the few temple guardians that he'd bothered to take a shine to. He's briefly struck by the image of Viltez kneeling at his shrine, tail lazily sweeping back and forth in the light of a rising sun as his clever fingers lighting incense over a freshly prepared sacrifice. The stab of possessiveness is familiar by now, and he indulges in it only briefly before shoving it to the back of his mind with what is quickly becoming practiced ease.

"You are truly extraordinary," he says when he's sure it won't come out as a growl. His voice is still rough and low, but human enough. He kind of wants to get in close, to press Viltez up against the nearest wall and press his nose into the crook of his neck to scent him- remind himself that he is here, that Autharyx is right here with him. He wants to lean into him, work his hand under his shirt to feel the heat of his skin and dare him to touch Autharyx as well. It seems... impolite though, so he swallows the impulse down and turns back to his food.

"It's good soup," he says only a little awkwardly. "I can clean up after, if you like?"

[PopeAlessandros]

Flushed doesn't even come close to the depth of color now covering the beastman's cheeks. That deep voice, that intense gaze. . . Not to mention the words themselves. Looking meekly across the table at Aryx, Viltez feels the urge to vehemently deny that he is any such thing, but trapped under that gaze, Viltez can only swallow and smile back as his heart makes a valiant attempt to jump out of his chest. He sees a promise of desire behind those sharp eyes, and his tail tightens around his guest's arm as he feels his temperature rise. He doesn't know why just a few simple words and a look send him tumbling into a land of foolish fantasy, but as he tries to force his tail to relent he has to admit, he's become a bit lost in thought over what mister Aryx meant by calling him, 'extraordinary'.

The compliment to the food helps ground him a bit and he's able to pulls his tail back from trying to strangle Aryx's arm and give the man a calmer smile, rather than one there only to hide his erratic breathing. “Oh, thank you.” he says, smiling a little wider as his voice doesn't quite crack. “And yes! That would be great! I, um, wanted to take a bath after dinner, so, we could. . . I mean, if it's no trouble, and then we could both get ready for bed. . .” his face, still flushed, heats a bit once more, but he manages to not completely lose himself this time as he thinks of settling in for the night.

The meal comes to an end, and Viltez leaves Aryx with the dishes, showing him where the soap is, and how to get the water out, before apologizing that he probably already knew how to do that. Embarrassed with himself, Viltez hurries to the bath and begins heating the tub so he can bathe quickly. Once the water gets flowing, he disrobes and sets his clothes in the bin by the door. He is stopped from getting in right away by his tail, dragging at the edge of the door frame, and after a long moment looking at it twitching, he flushes yet again and quickly plunges into the water. 'Foolish tail! He already bathed, and we will see him soon! We'll get clean, get dry, go to the room, and. . . And. . .' Sinking beneath the surface, Viltez blows some bubbles as he finally lets his mind wander over what may happen when he's once more settled in bed with his guest.

'He was. . . So different, when we were. . . Exploring. Well, not super different, but. . . He's so curious, inquisitive normally, but when we were. . . Like that, I. . . He seemed almost, hungry. Hungry, and possessive' He shudders at the thought, remembering the look of “mine!” the man had for several seconds during their encounter. 'And not just that, but it was strange. The way he talked, it was like he'd never even considered those things before. . . I mean, I never considered doing them with anyone, because I mean, how could I hide my tail in that situation, but I at least. . .I kinda understood the basics. . .' Letting out a long sigh, Viltez works on rubbing the sweat from his body, ignoring any cries for attention from below his navel, and willing himself to calm down before having to go in front of the man.

Eventually, he is finished and spending the time to drain the tub and sprucing up the room, he's able to calm down before slipping on some sleeping pants and heading to his room. Peeking inside to make sure he's not being a bother, he smiles at the sight of Aryx and slips in, closing the door behind him. “Feeling all refreshed now!” he says with a warm smile, walking carefully over to the bed and taking a seat on the edge to stretch a bit. His tail, much to his embarrassment, immediately seeks out Aryx and begins wigging over his shoulders and brushing against his cheek, clearly happy to see the man after the brief separation. “Sorry.” he calls over his shoulder. “It's still a bit wet. I try to dry it, but you know. . It's a little sensitive and doesn't like my rough towels.” he laughs softly, trying to appear as casual as possible and let Aryx make the first move, if there is a move to be made.